Evangelism in a Hostile, Vile, and Broken World
“I, Patrick, a sinner… had for father the deacon Calpurnius… I was at that time about 16 years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people… And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of...
Faith Clarity
At 5:00 a.m. on October 24, 2019, I pulled out of our driveway for an approximately 4500-mile road trip. I had some specific tasks I needed to take care of as I journeyed west, but I also simply wanted to get to know more of my brothers and sisters in the family of...
Bringing the Gospel
When you saw the title, Engage, for this issue of Faith & Fellowship, it may have led you to pause and think about one or two of the following questions. Let’s look at how the Bible would address them. Before I bring the gospel to my neighbor, should I prepare...
New Beginnings
New beginnings. January is one of my favorite months. I sift through the past year’s pains and joys and plan for the upcoming year. I smile at the good times, bury the bad times, and drink coffee while I make my checklists on how I’ll do better next time. As I think...
The Interview: Cultivate New England
Recently I met with Rev. Mike Natale of Faith Chapel Lutheran Brethren Church in Cranston, Rhode Island. In addition to serving at Faith Chapel, Mike is the Director of Cultivate New England. Mike and I met in a small town in eastern Connecticut, a place where we’d...
LBS: Student Trip to Japan
With the goal of instilling a passion in students for reaching lost people, Lutheran Brethren Seminary offers a class called “Cross Cultural Communication in Mission.” The course requires a short-term mission trip where students examine their role as incarnational...
Pray CLB: I Am With You
It is 2,990 miles from Bethany Lutheran Brethren Church in East Hartland, Connecticut to Hope Church at Silver Lake in Everett, Washington. If I were to drive to Hope Church to fellowship with their congregation, it would take me two full days, driving non-stop. When...
Faith that Moves You
A very mysterious event is recorded in Luke 5:18-20. “Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him...
Invisible Chains
A cloud of dust rose in the west, as six hundred of Pharaoh’s fastest chariots approached, his full army following close behind. Fear filled the Israelite camp as memories of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth flooded back. The Israelites had been spared the...
Out of Egypt I Called My Son
I still fondly remember the countless times while growing up when I would rush to our basement to play video games with my brother. Mom would give us an hour or two to play after our chores were done, and during the summer we’d spend hours together having a great...
With Him I Am Well Pleased
It’s been awkward for me to live up to all my identities. That’s a bit of a weird line, I know, so let me explain what I mean. Although my mom will quickly tell you she named me Daniel, I’ve found myself at a place in life where I get called a lot of different names....
The One Who Didn’t Fail
There are two contrasting video collections that I’ve found engaging. The first is titled People Are Awesome. These are video clips of people accomplishing fantastic feats of skill and athleticism. Some of my personal favorites involve individuals performing seemingly...
Cornerstone Network
I have always been intrigued by the passage in Mark 12:41-44 where Jesus was in the temple watching people as they gave their offerings. When Jesus observed a poor widow giving two small coins worth only a few cents, he made a point to tell his disciples that she had...
Everyone is Seeking Fulfillment
Everyone is seeking fulfillment. We may call it by different names and not recognize it for what it is, but we all seek to be fulfilled. What does it mean to be fulfilled? Here is how one dictionary defines fulfillment: to bring to completion or reality, to achieve or...
Collaboration
Families uproot their lives, seminary students begin classes in small-town Fergus Falls, Minnesota, their kids start new schools, and in the midst of the chaos, seminary women invest in a weekend get-away to bond together, along with seminary faculty wives. Women’s...